Drivers who carry the smallest amount of coverage may find that they will soon be paying more.

The Illinois House has just passed legislation that would increase the minimum liability coverage required in auto insurance that must be carried by drivers within the state, meaning that these motorists could be paying higher premiums beginning in 2015.

The minimum will be increasing for the amount that is covered to pay for the injuries of other people.

The auto insurance minimums will rise to $25,000 for injury or death of one person, which is an increase over the current minimum level of $20,000. Moreover, the minimum coverage for injury or death of more than one person will also be rising from $40,000 to $50,000. According to the estimates of one legislator, this will mean an increase of about $75 per year for individuals who are currently carrying the lowest legal amount of coverage.

Almost every state in the country has a minimum required amount of liability coverage on auto insurance policies.

Illinois is currently among the lower half of the states in terms of the amount of coverage that is required. The auto insurance minimum coverage increase bill was passed at a vote of 70 to 41. As the Senate has already passed this bill, it will now be placed on the desk of the governor, Pat Quinn to await his signature.

According to state Rep. Laura Fine (D – Glenview) “These rates have not been changed in 24 years and do not keep pace with rising medical costs.” She also added that the increase in the minimum auto insurance coverage “will save people who are injured in an accident that is no fault of their own from some of the out-of-pocket medical costs they may incur.”

Fine feels quite a personal connection with this bill, as her husband was on his way to work in April 2010 and was injured in an accident when he was struck by an individual who was carrying only by the minimum required auto insurance in the state. She explained that as a result of this small coverage, “Our bills were astronomical and of course completely unexpected.”